Written Answers Tuesday 31 October 2006

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the results of the review of the financing and operation of First Responder units will be made public.

Mr Andy Kerr: The re-drafted strategy document on First Responder units has been completed and is available from the Scottish Ambulance Service National Headquarters, Tipperlinn Road, Edinburgh, EH10 5UU.

  The Scottish Ambulance Service’s policy is to set up First Responder units in areas where there is sufficient demand and appropriate volunteers. These schemes cost around £6,000 per year to run.

  The ambulance service recognises that some local communities who are not on the ambulance service’s priority list want to establish their own schemes. The ambulance service supports these by providing appropriate training to ensure the safe delivery of patient care.

Apprenticeships

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what educational programmes are incorporated into apprenticeship programmes.

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what educational programmes are incorporated into advanced apprenticeship programmes.

Allan Wilson: There are no advanced apprenticeships in Scotland. These are available in England and Wales with study towards an NVQ level 3 and are equivalent to a Scottish Modern Apprenticeship (MA).

  On successful completion of an MA in Scotland, candidates achieve S/NVQ level 3 or above. Individual MA frameworks are designed by industry and must contain five core skills as a mandatory component. These core skills are Working with Others, Information Technology, Numeracy, Communication and Problem Solving. MA frameworks may also include sector specific qualifications, where appropriate.

Education

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average primary class size is.

Peter Peacock: The latest available average primary class size is shown in the 2005 Pupil Census . This can be accessed using the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00487 .

Enterprise

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote an Aberdeen-led Scottish bid to be the hub for the proposed Energy Technologies Institute.

Allan Wilson: We are participating fully in the process outlined by the Department for Trade and Industry to establish the Energy Technologies Institute.

  We are working in partnership with Scottish universities, the economic development agencies, the Scottish Funding Council, ITI Energy and industry to develop a comprehensive and co-ordinated bid to attract a significant proportion of the Energy Technologies Institute’s research funds to centres of excellence in Scotland, including Aberdeen.

Enterprise

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it will give to encourage the public and private sectors to build a partnership to promote an Aberdeen-led Scottish bid to be the hub for the proposed Energy Technologies Institute.

Allan Wilson: Senior officials within the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise are facilitating the development of a comprehensive and coordinated bid to attract a significant proportion of the Energy Technologies Institute’s research funds to centres of excellence in Scotland, including Aberdeen.

Enterprise

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers have been involved in preparations to promote an Aberdeen-led Scottish bid to be the hub for the proposed Energy Technologies Institute.

Allan Wilson: The Deputy First Minister has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to express our full support for Scottish involvement in the institute.

Forestry Commission

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors whether Forestry Commission Scotland’s spending delivers value for money.

Rhona Brankin: Forestry Commission Scotland’s (FCS) spending is subject to the same scrutiny as other departments of the Scottish Executive. All departments, through their Accountable Officers, have a duty to promote the efficient and effective use of staff and other resources in accordance with the principles of Best Value. This duty is subject to scrutiny by the Auditor General for Scotland.

  Every two years FCS activities are examined in detail in the spending review to ensure it is delivering value for money. Financial and other targets are set, specifically for the Forest Enterprise Scotland Agency, which manages the National Forest Estate. These are published in the FCS Corporate Plan and reported annually in the FCS Annual Report and Accounts. The 2005-06 Report and Accounts were laid before the Scottish Parliament on 24 July 2006, reference SE/2006/122. FCS is subject to annual examination by Audit Scotland and plays an active part in the Executive’s Efficient Government Initiative, delivering over £4,000,000 of efficiency savings over the period 2004-05 to 2007-08.

Higher Education

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of those who have graduated in computing and information technology since 1999 are now in full-time employment in that area.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of those who have graduated in engineering since 1999 are now in full-time employment in that area.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of those who have graduated in science since 1999 are now in full-time employment in that area.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time is for graduates with qualifications in computing and information technology to first find full-time employment in the related professional field.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time is for graduates with qualifications in engineering to first find full-time employment in the related professional field.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time is for graduates with qualifications in science to first find full-time employment in the related professional field.

Nicol Stephen: The information requested is not held centrally. However, information on the first destination of graduates by subject studied can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/09/29153542/0.

Higher Education

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which courses have ceased to be offered at each university in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: This information is not held centrally.

Higher Education

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many degrees have been awarded for (a) biology, (b) chemistry, (c) physics, (d) other science subjects and (e) media studies at each university in each year since 1999, showing the year-on-year percentage changes.

Nicol Stephen: The information requested has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40707).

Hospices

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the official definition is of a hospice.

Mr Andy Kerr: There is no official definition of a hospice. However, hospices that provide specialist palliative care for NHS boards are expected to deliver services at a level set out in the Clinical Standards for Specialist Palliative Care which were published in 2002 by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (now part of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland).

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate will consider setting up a public judicial inquiry into all the cases surrounding the Shirley McKie fingerprint case.

Elish Angiolini QC: I have no plans to set up a judicial inquiry into this matter.

Justice

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that a community impact assessment is undertaken prior to the issue of no proceedings letters by procurators fiscal.

Elish Angiolini QC: Before taking any action, the Procurator Fiscal must be satisfied that the circumstances reported to him or her disclose a crime known to the law of Scotland and that there is sufficient admissible and reliable evidence. The Procurator Fiscal cannot raise proceedings if there is insufficient evidence.

  If there is sufficient evidence, the Procurator Fiscal will consider what, if any, action is required in the public interest. Decisions are based on the facts and circumstances of each case. Assessment of the public interest will include consideration of such matters as the seriousness of the offence, the lapse of time since its commission, the interests of the victim and other witnesses, factors relating to the accused and any relevant local community issues. Regard must be had to the whole circumstances of the case as known to the Procurator Fiscal.

  More generally, an Equality Advisory Group provides independent expert advice to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service on the impact or likely impact of its existing and future policies on equality issues, including racial, religious and cultural issues.

Legislation

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the sections of each act of the Scottish Parliament which await commencement orders.

Ms Margaret Curran: Often acts will require to be commenced in stages (for particular provisions or particular purposes) for policy or practical reasons. Decisions about such matters are the responsibility of the minister in charge of the act and so the information requested is not held centrally. Acts of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Statutory Instruments, including Commencement Orders, are published on the HMSO website. Is it in Force? 2006 , which is published by LexisNexis, Butterworths, provides details of provisions in acts of the Scottish Parliament which have been brought into force. If the member would like information about any specific act or any specific provision or provisions in an act, the relevant portfolio minister will be happy to provide that information.

Ministerial Correspondence

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Communities will reply to my letter dated 24 July 2006 regarding my constituent, Mr R Stephen of Cairbulg.

Johann Lamont: My officials have completed their investigations into the issues raised in your letter and my response has now been issued.

Police

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been recruited since 2003; what projections it has made in respect of such recruitment in 2007, and what the actual and projected total police numbers are for the period 2003 to 2007 for (a) Lothian and Borders and (b) Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: While recruitment of police officers is an operational requirement for chief constables, the most recent Spending Review in 2004 provided for sufficient resources to deliver our Partnership Agreement commitment to increase the number of police officers in the current parliamentary session.

  Since 2003, 2,845 new police officers have been recruited in Scotland.

  Over the same period police officer numbers in Lothian and Borders Police have risen from 2,708 to 2,791 at 30 September 2006. In Scotland police numbers have risen from 15,385 to 16,261.

  Police numbers in future years are of course dependent on recruitment decisions of chief constables.

Police

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many whole-time equivalent police officers were in post in each month from December 2005 to September 2006.

Cathy Jamieson: Police officer numbers are collected on a quarterly basis. The available information is shown in the following table.

  No. of Police Officers (Whole-Time Equivalent)

  

As at:
 


31 December 2005
16,164


31 March 2006
16,221


30 June 2006
16,226


30 September 2006
16,261

Police

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many whole-time equivalent police civilian support staff were in post in each month from December 2005 to September 2006.: 

Cathy Jamieson: Police civilian support staff numbers are collected on a quarterly basis. The available information is shown in the following table.

  No. of Police Civilian Support Staff (Whole-Time Equivalent)

  

As at:
 


31 December 2005
7,030


31 March 2006
7,187


30 June 2006
7,249


30 September 2006
7,294

Prison Service

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the recommended punishments are for prisoners caught in possession of illegal substances, how many such cases there have been in each of the last five years and what the punishment was in each case, broken down prison.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS does not condone the illegal use of drugs by prisoners and is proactive both in detecting and deterring their use. Prisoners with drug problems are encouraged to come forward for proper care. Sanctions for illegal use include The Prisons & Young Offender Rules (Scotland) (Rules 199 to 120) which set out a range of punishments, referral to the Police and restrictions on progression. The information on the number of cases is not available.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many family information sessions have been held by or for the Scottish Prison Service in the last 12 months for which the information is available and what proportion of these included specific information about addictions.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  There have been 216 family information sessions held. Seventy-five of these sessions included specific information about addictions. There are a number of other forums where information is also offered and provided to families, for example through Family Contact Officers at visits, contacting the Scottish Prisoners Families Helpline operated by Families Outside and through the SPS Website at www.sps.gov.uk.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of family information sessions held by or for the Scottish Prison Service in the last 12 months for which the information is available took place during (a) an evening or (b) a weekend.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29083 on 31 October 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search. Of the 216 family information sessions that have taken place, 38 sessions were held during the evening and 17 sessions were held at weekends.

School Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents involving school buses there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Peter Peacock: The information is not held centrally in the form requested. Road accident statistics do not distinguish a school bus from any other type of bus.

  However, data on reported numbers of pupils injured in road accidents while travelling to or from school is set out in Table 45 of Road Accidents Scotland, published by the Scottish Executive in January 2006, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38777).

  The "bus/coach" category in the table includes pupils travelling on ordinary or service buses as well as on school buses.

School Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to improve safety measures on school buses.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has commissioned work to identify good practice on a wide range of school travel issues, including safety measures on school buses. The intention is to publish the results in 2007.

School Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the report, Safer Journeys to School , prepared for the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, the Department of Regional Development and the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland and, if so, whether it believes that it contains information useful to improving school pupils’ safety in transit to school in Scotland.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is aware of the Northern Island report, which echoes issues raised in the Scottish Consumer Council’s report Travelling to School .

  The Executive has commissioned work to identify good practice on a wide range of school travel issues, including pupil safety while travelling to and from school.

School Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on the provision of school buses in each of the last 10 years.

Peter Peacock: Information on expenditure on school buses is not held centrally in the form requested.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it allocates a unique identifier in its accounting systems to each of its suppliers of goods or services.

Mr Tom McCabe: Yes.

Speed Limits

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken by parents to appeal a decision by a local authority not to introduce a 20mph speed limit outside a primary school.

Tavish Scott: There is no formal appeal mechanism in relation to 20mph speed limits outside schools. However, parents and representatives can of course raise such issues locally with their local authority and MSPs can of course initiate Parliamentary action.

Vaccines

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether commercial supplies of the flu vaccine are available for purchase without prescription.

Mr Andy Kerr: Flu vaccine is a prescription only medicine (POM) and as such it is not available for purchase without a prescription either on the NHS or privately. POMs must be prescribed by a doctor, a dentist or another qualified health professional. POMs may also be supplied and administered under a suitable Patient Group Direction, either on the NHS or privately.